Career and Education Opportunities for Photographic Processing Machine Operators in Austin, Texas

Photographic processing machine operators can find both educational opportunities and jobs in the Austin, Texas area. About 3,130 people are currently employed as photographic processing machine operators in Texas. By 2016, this is expected to shrink by 48% to 1,630 people employed. This is not quite as good as the nation as a whole, where employment opportunities for photographic processing machine operators are expected to shrink by about 24.3%. Photographic processing machine operators generally operate photographic processing machines, such as photographic printing machines, film developing machines, and mounting presses.

Photographic processing machine operators earn about $9 per hour or $19,460 annually on average in Texas and about $9 hourly or $20,360 yearly on average nationally. Photographic processing machine operators earn less than people working in the category of Painting and Coating generally in Texas and less than people in the Painting and Coating category nationally.

There is one school within twenty-five miles of Austin where you can study to be a photographic processing machine operator, among thirty-five schools of higher education total in the Austin area. The most common level of education for photographic processing machine operators is a high school diploma or GED. You can expect to spend only a short time studying to be a photographic processing machine operator if you already have a high school diploma.

CAREER DESCRIPTION: Photographic Processing Machine Operator

Photographic Processing Machine Operator video from the State of New Jersey Dept. of Labor and Workforce Development

Photographic processing machine operators remove completed work from equipment. They also insert processed negatives and prints into envelopes so that they can be returned to customers. Equally important, photographic processing machine operators have to sort film to be developed in line with criteria such as film type or completion date. They are often called upon to load circuit boards, racks or rolls of film and/or printing paper into processing or printing machines. They are expected to monitor equipment operation to uncover malfunctions. Finally, photographic processing machine operators fill tanks of processing machines with solutions such as developer, dyes, stop-baths and washes.

Every day, photographic processing machine operators are expected to be able to listen to and understand others in meetings. It is also important that they see details at a very fine level of focus.

It is important for photographic processing machine operators to clean and maintain photoprocessing equipment, using cleaning and rinsing solutions and ultrasonic equipment. They are often called upon to read work orders and examine negatives and film in order to establish machine settings and processing requirements. They also set and adjust machine controls, according to given requirements, type of operation, and material requirements. They are sometimes expected to maintain records such as quantities and types of processing completed, rate of materials usage, and customer charges. Somewhat less frequently, photographic processing machine operators are also expected to load circuit boards, racks or rolls of film and/or printing paper into processing or printing machines.

and inspect film or circuit patterns on photographic plates to identify any defects; discard faulty products or repair them, using cleaning solutions and hand tools. And finally, they sometimes have to start and operate machines to ready circuit boards and to expose, design and print film or plates.

Like many other jobs, photographic processing machine operators must be reliable and believe in cooperation and coordination.

Similar jobs with educational opportunities in Austin include:

Decorative Painter. Paint, coat, or decorate articles, such as furniture, glass, or leather.

Austin Community College District, 5930 Middle Fiskville Rd, Austin, TX 78752. Austin Community College District is a large college located in Austin, Texas. It is a public school with primarily 2-year programs and has 35,798 students. Austin Community College District has a one to two year program in Photographic and Film/Video Technology/Technician & Assistant which graduated four students in 2008.

CERTIFICATIONS

Basic Flexographer (Level 1):
The "Basic Flexographer" classification (Level I) has been developed to provide recognition of those who have rudimentary knowledge of the industry or are entry level personnel.

LOCATION INFORMATION: Austin, Texas

Austin, Texas photo by Wikidiculous

Austin is located in Travis County, Texas. It has a population of over 757,688, which has grown by 15.4% over the last ten years. The cost of living index in Austin, 88, is well below the national average. New single-family homes in Austin are valued at $139,500 on average, which is well below the state average. In 2008, 1,928 new homes were constructed in Austin, down from 3,155 the previous year.

The three big industries for women in Austin are educational services, health care, and professional, scientific, and technical services. For men, it is construction, professional, scientific, and technical services, and accommodation and food services. The average commute to work is about 22 minutes. More than 40.4% of Austin residents have a bachelor's degree, which is higher than the state average. The percentage of residents with a graduate degree, 14.7%, is higher than the state average.

The unemployment rate in Austin is 6.5%, which is less than Texas's average of 8.1%.

The percentage of Austin residents that are affiliated with a religious congregation, 46.2%, is less than both the national and state average. Pilgrim Rest Primitive Baptist Church, Adam and Eve Garden Baptist Church and Pleasant Hill Baptist Church are all churches located in Austin. The largest religious groups are the Catholic Church, the Southern Baptist Convention and the United Methodist Church.

Austin is home to the Morris Williams Golf Course and the Sixth Street Historic District as well as Wild Basin Wilderness Park and Rudolph Gamblin Field. Shopping centers in the area include Capital Plaza Shopping Center, Capital Plaza Shopping Center and Lamar Plaza Shopping Center. Visitors to Austin can choose from Club Hotel by Doubletree Austin University Area, Austin Folk House and AmeriPark at Austin for temporary stays in the area.